1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drum brake arrangement for motor vehicles in general, and particularly to a novel arrangement of various components of a pneumatically actuated drum brake assembly for rear axles of heavy duty trucks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pneumatically actuated drum brakes are well known in the prior art. Typically, a pneumatically actuated drum brake assembly includes a brake spider bolted to a flange on an axle beam. The brake spider is adapted to support a pair of brake shoes. A brake actuator shaft provided with an S-cam at one end and a pneumatic actuator at the other end, is normally supported on the axle beam by at least one bracket welded to the axle beam. This conventional design renders current pneumatically actuated drum brake assemblies quite complex in manufacturing, cumbersome, expensive and require a great deal of changes in the current production in order to accommodate numerous variations of axle beams and suspension arrangements.